Seasoned Lawmaker, Hon. Wole Oke, Calls for Deregistration of Accord Party by INEC, Sparks National Debate

 

By Oriontimes Fact Check Desk

A seasoned lawmaker representing Obokun/Oriade Federal Constituency, Hon. Wole Oke, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deregister the Accord Party,

citing the party’s alleged failure to produce elected officials into any public office across Nigeria.

Hon. Oke argued that political parties that consistently fail to win elections should not continue to operate within the country’s democratic space, describing such platforms as existing largely on paper without measurable electoral relevance.

Electoral Act 2022: Oriontimes Fact Check

Following the lawmaker’s remarks, Oriontimes conducted a fact check of the Electoral Act 2022 to ascertain whether the call for deregistration is supported by the current electoral law.

Findings show that the Electoral Act 2022 contains no specific provision empowering INEC to deregister a political party solely on the basis that it has no elected officials. The Act focuses primarily on electoral procedures, party administration, campaign finance, and the conduct of elections, but is silent on performance-based deregistration.

While the Electoral Act 2022 does not support the claim, Oriontimes confirms that the authority to deregister political parties is provided under the Nigerian Constitution.

Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) empowers INEC to deregister a political party under specific conditions.

According to the Constitution, INEC may deregister a political party if it:

* Breaches any of the requirements for registration

* Fails to win at least 25 per cent of votes cast in:

° One state of the federation in a presidential election, or

° One local government area in a governorship election

* Fails to win at least one seat in:

° The National Assembly,

° A State House of Assembly, or

 

° A Local Government Council election

These constitutional thresholds form the legal foundation upon which INEC previously deregistered several political parties.

Context and Implications

Hon. Wole Oke’s call reflects a broader national debate over the growing number of registered political parties and concerns about electoral efficiency, ballot complexity, and democratic consolidation.